A new pilot program in London is making police less visible and adding more mental-health professionals to calls for people in crisis.
The Crisis Outreach and Support Team (COAST) is a joint initiative by London police, the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Elgin-Middlesex, St. Joseph’s Health Care London, and the Middlesex-London Paramedic Service. The goal of the outreach program is to reduce the need for police-led responses to situations involving mental-health or addiction issues while ensuring individuals receive the care they need.
The team is made up of members from each of the four agencies with one police officer, one nurse, one social worker, and one paramedic on each shift. Police officers on the team do not wear uniforms and do not travel in marked police cruisers.
"We know that providing a police-led response to individuals experiencing mental health/addictions crisis is not ideal," said Bill Chantler, superintendent of support services at the London Police Service. "Our hope is that through proactive intervention alongside our mental health partners, we can improve outcomes for those in need of mental health or addictions support before they enter into a crisis situation. Our role is one of ensuring safety for all involved, and assisting with getting individuals the care they need in an appropriate setting.”
The one-year pilot program offers assistance to anyone 16 or older living with serious mental health and addiction issues. The team not only engages with an individual in crisis, but also follows up and helps individuals access ongoing care services and programs. It is hoped these actions will help prevent unnecessary visits to the emergency room, involvement of the criminal justice system, and decrease stigmas around these issues.
"The COAST initiative provides a missing link within our community, as well as for the outpatient and outreach teams of St. Joseph’s mental health care programs, because it adds a layer of proactive, health care-led intervention," said St. Joseph’s Mental Health Care Director Deb Gibson. "Essentially, we are building on the existing strengths of our community services, while addressing gaps in the system by improving collaboration between health care services and police.”
The pilot program will continue until March 31.
